Wishes Answered?
by Aurora2361
Summary: So, what's going on with Kayura and Rowen? Could she be all chummy, or is it all an evil ploy? Chp. 8 now up! R&R!
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters or any kind of stuff that belongs to the "Ronin Warriors". If I did, do you think that I would be working my butt off?? So, please don't sue me or anything like that. I'm a nice person once you get to know me.

Chp. 1

The Unbelievable

"Rowen?"

Rowen snapped his blue-black haired head up to see the familiar violet eyes of his friend smiling down on him.

Rowen slid a bookmark between the faded pages of the book he was reading. Sunlight peered through the leaves hanging quietly over the boy's heads, only being disturbed by a soft breeze. The lake below the small incline they were on was twinkling in the fading sunlight, feeling warm on their faces.

"Hey, Sage. I knew you'd know where to find me."

Sage crouched beside of his friend, eager to hear of Rowen's good news. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the folded note that he had received from Ryo earlier in the day.

"I've been anxious to talk with you all day. What's with the note?" Sage asked as he crouched down by Rowen's side.

At the mention of Rowen's mystery message, his eyes and face beamed. A smile that Sage had not seen in years spread across his face.

Relief washed over Sage; enough so that it almost knocked his balance out from his low crouch. It had been so long since Rowen had received any form of good news.

After the years of abuse that he had lived through, it finally happened. A reconciliation.

As Rowen had dropped his book bag off at the door, the assault began. His mother had called him into the dark living room, quizzing him and accusing him of things that were long forgotten. She's hurled trinkets wildly at him, wishing him dead and gone. After her tirade had subsided and she'd disappeared into the bottom of another liquor bottle, Rowen started to pick up the pieces of the objects from the floor.

As he gathered the broken shards in his hands, he heard a strange sound from the dining room across the hall.

Rowen looked up at his mother, crying softly as she ran her fingers tenderly over an object lying flat on the table. He couldn't tell what it was from his spot of the floor, but he sat motionless, watching this new emotion that his mother was showing him. After a fight, he was always the one crying.

Suddenly, a wail erupted from her lips, and she slid slowly from the chair and into the floor, firmly grasping the object that was on the table. Rowen timidly got up from the shattered pieces, and dusted the fine pieces from his hands. He wasn't sure what to do. He approached her quietly, watching as she mumbled inaudible words and held the object tight to her chest. He could see that it was a picture frame of some sort, but the picture was being pressed into her chest.

"Mom?" he asked quietly, kneeling down to her side.

Her shoulders lurched forward in a sob.

"Mom?" Rowen asked again, placing a hand on her shoulder, "What is it?"

She looked up at Rowen, large tears flowing down her face. She loosened her grip on the item she had been holding, allowing Rowen to look at it. Rowen looked down at it, a gasp escaping his cheery lips as he recognized it.

It was a picture of him and his father, arms around each other and smiles on their faces.

Rowen looked into the dark eyes of his mother. They were almost pleading him for something. As he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, she did something completely unexpected.

She gently lifted a hand and tenderly caressed Rowen's cheek.

He was stunned. Time after time, all he was met with was hurt and ridicule. Anytime she had lifted a hand, it was to smack his fine, porcelain cheeks. Was she doing this as a result of the alcohol, or was it some deep emotion that she had hidden deep down from him?

Rowen nuzzled into her trembling hand, closing his eyes against her touch.

"Ro-Chan?" her voice croaked as she said his childhood name.

He opened his sea-green eyes, staring into her face.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered quietly.

"Mom, I don't -" he began, but was cut off.

"I need help, Rowen. I've known for a long time that I've needed help for all of my drinking and for what I've done to you."

Sudden tears stung his eyes, as he quickly let her confession sink into his numbed mind. She was actually admitting that she had done him terrible injustices. She dropped her hand from his cheek, and began to stroke the images in the picture in her lap. She scooted across the floor to move closer to him. Her tears were spilling over, and she rushed to finish her speech before her voice began to cut her off completely.

"When your father left, I didn't understand why. I didn't know that I had problems then. I don't even know why I began to drink. But, I couldn't admit it to myself, that I had a problem. So," she looked into Rowen's face, a soft look of sympathy in her eyes, "I blamed you, the most precious gift that I have ever received. I didn't want to believe that your father was leaving because of me."

A tear escaped Rowen's eyes, and he drew in a shaky breath, to try to steady himself. His mother's lips drew into a faint smile, and she reached up to lovingly wipe them away.

"I've done so many awful things to you, and said so many hurtful things." she trailed off quietly.

Her eyes broke away from his, and she looked to the picture once more. Rowen watched as she wrestled with all of the memories she had of mistreating him.

He did the only thing he could think of to do.

Rowen drew her frail and beaten body up to his strong chest and held her. Her arms encircled his waist, and she cried openly on his shoulder. He rested his head on her shoulder, her long raven hair tickling his cheek. He rubbed her back, trying to soothe her wails the best he could.

"I miss him, Rowen! It's my fault he's gone! He knew what was wrong, and when he tried to tell me, I exploded!" she wailed into his shoulder.

Rowen held her tight to his body, his own tears trickling over his cheeks.

"I miss him, too, Mom. But you still have Me." he croaked as a sob escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry" and "I love you" were repeated by his mother over and over again. There they sat in the dining room floor for over an hour, embracing each other. Rowen couldn't believe the sudden change, and was wary on how long this dream would last. He quickly shook his head to chase the thought away and melted into their embrace, savoring the moment.

Sage sat in stunned silence as Rowen finished his tale. When he was done, a ghost of a smile graced his lips, and he looked out over the glittering lake below. The sun was slowly beginning to set, and a few stars were making an early entrance. A cool breeze rushed over the glittering water and up to hilltop to where Rowen and Sage were sitting. Sage was watching Rowen curiously, sensing a definite inner peace in his friend.

"So, what happened this morning?"

Rowen looked back over at his friend, and took in a breath, "I got up and got ready for class. I didn't know what to expect when I got downstairs."

Rowen precariously walked down the stairs, his backpack as heavy as his heart was feeling. He ran a hand through his still damp hair and continued down the stairs.

As he crossed the living room into the dining room, his mother stepped out of her bedroom and stood in his path. A deep scowl was covering her face like a mask. Rowen rooted to his spot, and quickly turned his eyes to his feet.

She stomped over to him, and he saw her feet stop a little ways in front of him, the left toe tapping the floor impatiently.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

Rowen struggle with himself, not sure what to do. Had he dreamed about their reunion last night?

"I... I'm going... to class," he said almost at a whisper.

"Maybe later. You'll be late for class today."

Rowen quickly looked up at her, puzzled by her request.

"I don't -"

"I have to check in at the rehab center this morning." she said with a smile, and pointed over at the door.

Rowen furrowed his eyebrows and looked over at the door. A couple of suitcases were packed and waiting in the open doorway. A plane ticket was on the countertop.

Rowen looked back over at his mother, his turquoise eyes meeting her deep brown.

"What about -"

"You?" she asked with a smile, "I called Mrs. Date last night when you set off for bed. She said that she would be honored to keep you for a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" he asked quietly as he slipped his backpack off his back and to the floor with a thud.

Rowen felt a soft hand touch his shoulder and recognized the soft vanilla perfume he had bought her as a child. She tilted his chin up to look into his beautiful eyes.

"Yes, darling. It will be a while before I can come home."

"Will I get to see you while you're there?" he asked, a sudden weight on his heart.

She shook her head, her long raven hair swirling around her shoulders. Rowen dropped his head and shuffled his feet.

"I'll write you as soon as I can. And I promise," she added as she pushed Rowen's head up to look into his troubled eyes, "I will be back to get you."

Rowen remembered many times he would be alone in the house for days at a time, wondering if she were dead in a ditch somewhere. Or when she'd drop him off at friend's houses for a week or two, thinking for sure that she'd finally abandoned him.

"Okay?" she asked, breaking into his reverie.

Rowen nodded quietly and slowly embraced her.

"I promise, baby. Everything is going to be so much better," she said through his shoulder.

"God, I hope so," he whispered, tears once more threatening to spill over.

"We took a cab to the airport and I saw her off. Then the cab took me back to the uni for class." Rowen ended as he rubbed his eyes.

"So that's why you weren't in chemistry." Sage said quietly.

Sage had moved over beside the tree, and was sitting with his eyes closed. The sunshine felt warm on his face, and he turned each cheek to greedily soak in each ray.

Rowen stretched out his legs, rubbing his aching knees, "Yep. I wrote that note on the way over in the cab. I handed it off to Ryo as I went to my calculus class."

Sage quietly acknowledged. When Ryo had given him Rowen's note, Sage exchanged a nervous glance with Ryo. Every time Rowen had written a note to Sage, it was always hastily written asking him for help.

"Wasn't Rowen here this morning?" Ryo asked as Sage read through the message.

"Nuh-uh. I've been worried about him all morning." Sage mumbled as he scanned the note.

Sage,

So much to say in so little time. Very profound events happening at home.

Meet me after class where the sun twinkles in our eyes from the ground up.

Ro

"Geez."

"What?" Ryo asked as Sage handed him the note.

"I hate it when he writes in riddles." Sage muttered as he grabbed his ancient studies book from his backpack.

Ryo chuckled, and a sudden glimmer touched his tiger blue eyes.

"What are you giggling at?" Sage asked as Ryo handed back the note.

"It's good to see the old Rowen, is all."

"What do you mean?" Sage asked, suddenly tired of everyone's riddles.

"Think about it, Sage," Ryo said as they strolled to class, "Think of the other note's Rowen has written."

Sage thought for a second, then started counting off thoughts on his fingers, "Straight to the point... Some mention of this problem... scribbled down in a hurry."

"Exactly. Now list off what's different in this."

"No mention of any kind of problem... thought about it before writing it down... a riddle." Sage ended as he pulled open the door to their classroom.

"I think he finally has good news."

Rowen laughed heartily as Sage finished recalling the events of the morning.

"I don't always write in riddles!" Rowen said with a smile.

"Yeah, Ro, you do. Especially if you're in a good mood."

"Anyway," Rowen said as he looked over at Sage, "so I'll be staying with you for awhile."

A broad smile spread over Sage's face. He opened his eyes to look over at Rowen, a mischievous gleam in them.

"What?"

Sage slyly shrugged, and shook his head, "Nothing. Just thinking about how I'm finally going to beat your ass in the dojo tonight."

Rowen threw his head back and laughed, "Whatever. You always say that, and I always end up standing on top of you, stomping you into the ground."

"We'll see about that." Sage said with a smile.

Sage got up slowly, dusting off his gray pants, and straightening the blue collared shirt he had on. Rowen shaded his eyes and looked up at his friend.

"We better get going before mom begins to worry. I'm sure that she'll have a huge dinner ready for us."

Sage reached a hand out to help Rowen up to his feet. Rowen dusted the dried leaves and dirt away from his blue jeans and maroon polo shirt as he started to follow along behind Sage to his house.

As Rowen walked along beside his friend joking around, he couldn't help but think that nothing could ruin how wonderful his day was going...

But he was wrong.

To be continued....

If you'd like to contact me about any of my writings, please email me at I welcome any kind of contact! And, as always, please don't use my writings without getting my consent first. I work hard just like everyone else to write these stories, and don't appreciate when I see my works under someone else's name. ) Also, if you'd like to read "A Simple Wish" before it is uploaded here, look on www. amandaswiftgold . com to read it there. Thanks!


	2. Trust

Sweat was rolling down Rowen's forehead, drenching through the navy headband that was holding back his soaked blue-black hair. His one lone forelock was sticking to the bridge of his nose, the sweat stinging his eyes. His chest heaved with each breath, his loose shirt sticking to his skin. The golden bow in his hand seemed suddenly heavy, and it shook as he struggled to keep hold of it.

Rowen's sea green eyes quickly scanned the darkness around the room. Only the faint light of a candle on the far side of the room was the only source of light. Rowen smiled at the candlelight across from him, thanking it for its warmth and light.

'This was a mistake.' Rowen thought to himself as a half-smile crossed his face.

He once again scanned the room, hoping for a shimmer of the familiar blonde head. Unfortunately, not any kind of human form came through the shadows.

Rowen stealthily turned his back to the candle and looked around. The bow was shimmering quietly in the light, and he hoped that it wouldn't be a target for Sage's heavy sword. Suddenly, the room became completely black as the candle was blown out.

"Hey, Sage, we agreed we wouldn't blow out the candle." Rowen said annoyingly as he set the bow on the ground and leaned against it like it were a staff.

Just as suddenly, the faint light of the candle once again shimmered on the bow's hilt. Rowen quickly spun around, alarmed at the candle's sudden resurrection. Even if Sage had blown it out and lit it again, the sound of the match would have reached Rowen's ears. As he turned, he gasped as he recognized a face that he had not seen in quite a long while.

Kayura was perched on the small table beside of the candle, coyly playing with the flame. Her star swords that she had once carried were lying on the table, the flicker of each flame reflecting off of the shiny metal. There was a look of pure sadness on her face as she looked down at the swords Talpa had given her. Instead of wearing the armor that Anubis had sacrificed for her, she was once again wearing the star armor. The only difference was the medallion. A small tear-dropped sapphire pendant resting on her breastplate replaced the medallion that Talpa had used to control her.

Rowen was disturbed at the appearance of her old armor. He contemplated calling out his protective layer, but was afraid that it would only bring on an attack.

"Kayura?" Rowen whispered as he drew the bow behind his back.

At the mention of her name, Kayura flipped off the table, grabbing her swords in response. She clasped them firmly in an X across her chest and her eyes filled with panic.

"Who's there?!" she yelled madly, stalking an "O" shape around the room.

"Kayura! It's me, Rowen!" he said as he stepped out of the darkness.

Kayura stood and watched as Rowen stepped into the candlelight. When she recognized the blue hair and warm face, relief washed over her. She released the swords and they clamored to the ground in a heap. She swooned slightly, and Rowen rushed to grab her, dropping his own weapon.

"I have missed you, Strata," she said as she wrapped her slender arms around his neck and hugged him hard.

The cool armor felt wonderful against his hot body, and he held her tight for a moment. The pendant was pressing into his skin, but it felt like ice against his chest.

"What's the matter, Kayura?" he asked as he rubbed her back.

"We don't have long, Rowen," she whispered as she pulled away from their embrace.

"What do you mean?" he asked as she inched closer to his face, her beautiful eyes twinkling like deep pools of water.

"All that I can say," she said as she inched closer, "is that you can't trust whom you trust the most."

As he opened his mouth to question her riddle, she made contact with her lips on his. She moaned against their passionate kiss, and he pulled her closer to him, never wanting the moment to end.

"Rowen!"

Rowen blinked his eyes a few times and looked at who was calling him. Sage was standing in front of him, a hand on his shoulder. He was still leaning against the bow, as if he'd never left. Sage dropped his hand, the familiar sword lying on the ground.

"What happened?" Rowen asked closing his eyes and shaking the sudden wave of dizziness out of his head.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Sage mumbled as Rowen leaned his head over.

"I don't know. It felt... like I ... was..." Rowen began, but as he raised his head up to look up at Sage, he stopped his explanation.

Sage's eyes, where they should've been a bright violet, were glowing an eerie red.

"What?" the figure asked as it picked up the sword and slowly drew it up to its side.

Rowen was frozen in place like a statue. Every instinct he had was telling him to run away. But this was his best friend. He trusted him.

Rowen opened his eyes wide as he heard Kayura's warning echo in his ears. 'You can't trust the ones you trust the most'. Was this a warning that another evil was coming after them?

But Kayura had warned him! She had almost killed all of them when they had battled Talpa in the Nether Realm. How could he trust her? But she had changed after he was defeated and Anubis gave her his armor.

Sage watched, confused, as Rowen struggled with his thoughts. His eyes were swimming with bewilderment, and he wouldn't quite look him in the eyes. Why was that?  
"Rowen, what's up?" Sage asked, and walked closer, sword in hand.

Rowen didn't see the familiar face of his friend walking towards him, concerned. He saw a demon with a sword drawn up in a striking stance. As quick as lightning, Rowen pulled the bow across his chest horizontally to try to push away his attacker. Sage stopped his advance, and felt the blow hit his square in the side as Rowen knocked him to the floor with the bow swinging wildly. He ran past Sage, now lying in a heap on the floor, over to the table holding two small arrows.

Rowen grabbed the two arrows, and split them at 90-degree angles to form a V. He placed the bow once more horizontally across his chest, and pulled the arrows taunt against the string. He saw the strange evil thing roll in the floor, and jump to its feet.

"Rowen, what are you doing?!" Sage asked he flung his arms out to his sides, the robe he had on hanging from his arms.

"Leave me be!!" he cried out, and allowed the arrows to fly.

Sage had always watched Rowen practice with his bow and arrow. But he didn't realize how fast he could shoot arrows. Sage felt the tips pierce the cloth that was hanging below his wrists, and drag him across the floor of the dojo. He slammed into the far wall, knocking the breath out of him. As he struggled against the dizziness, he struggled to pull his arms out from the arrows pinning his hands against the wall.

He looked up and saw Rowen walking calmly towards him. He had another arrow in his hand, and he desperately tried to tear his arms free. Rowen stepped in front of Sage, and drew his one arrow taunt once more on the bowstring, aiming straight for Sage's heart.

"Ro, what are you doing?!" Sage yelled, pleading for an explanation to his odd behavior.

Panic was beginning to set in as Sage watched the arrow's tip begin to glow. He would be crazy to perform his ultimate move in this small space!

"Where is Sage, demon?" Rowen asked quietly as he focused his aim.

"What are you talking about?!" Sage cried. He was still struggling to break the arrows free. They were like nails hammered into the wall.

"Liar!" Rowen spat, "Tell me where he is!"

"I'm right here, Ro! Right in front of you!" Sage choked out as tears sprang to his eyes.

The arrow shook against the bowstring as Rowen prepared to let it fly, "If you won't tell me, maybe you'll talk to an arrow!"

"What is God's name are you doing, Rowen?!" a voice yelled from behind.

A look of relief swept over Sage's face as Ryo stepped into the dojo. He was still behind the sliding door, his practice swords hanging from his side. As he began to shut the door, Rowen dropped the bow and arrow to his side and sprinted over to where Ryo was standing.

"Something's wrong, Ryo." Sage yelled as he tugged harder, feeling the cloth finally begin to rip.

"Don't listen, Ryo. It's a tr-" Rowen began, but as he looked into Ryo's face, he saw the same ruby red eyes as Sage had possessed.

Rowen transformed into his blue layer, startling Ryo enough that he dropped his practice swords to the ground. Rowen dropped the bow and arrow to the floor, and flipped a few times away from Ryo's figure, his arms up protectively in front of his face.

"Stay away from me!" Rowen yelled as he backed away from Ryo's form.

Ryo slowly lifted his hands up to his chest, showing that he wasn't going to hurt him, "What's up, Ro? Tell me what's wrong."

"You know what's wrong, demon! You may have taken my friends, but I won't go so easily!"

Rowen was watching Ryo intently. He stopped moving away from Ryo, his back to where Sage had been pinned into the wall. He had been watching Ryo so closely that he hadn't noticed Sage had pulled free from the arrows pinning him to the wall. He was now in his layer, running around the dojo in an attempt to get behind Rowen.

"Rowen," Ryo said loud enough to cover Sage's footsteps, "we're your friends. We aren't going to hurt you."

Rowen scoffed, "I heard that one before, you bastard. You'll show me where you took Ryo and Sage, even if it takes a beating!"

Rowen began to rush up to Ryo, but a sudden clasp of arms wrapped around his ankles. He fell to the floor, busting his lip in the process. He rolled over on his back to quickly flip up, but Sage was straddling his waist, holding him tightly against the floor. Ryo was over his head, holding his arms down. Ryo had transformed into his own layer, but both were having a hard time keeping him down.

Rowen was thrashing wildly against his attackers, yelling and cursing at them, demanding that they let him up. Rowen didn't see his friends looking down on him; he saw demons smiling down on him, their mouths upturned into hideous snarls.

"Rowen, stop it, or I'm going to end up breaking one of your ribs." Sage warned as he tried to maintain his balance on Rowen's waist.

"Leave me alone, dammit! Haven't I been through enough?!" Rowen cried, tears pooling in his troubled turquoise eyes.

"Calm down, Rowen. You're being irrational." Ryo said as he held down his hands, reaching behind him for something.

Rowen watched Ryo's figure reach for something behind his back, panic slowly setting into his brain. He could taste the coppery blood on his lips, bringing horrible pictures of torture in his mind. But he mostly tried to think of his friends. Whatever they were going through, it was his entire fault. His tears spilled freely from his eyes, and he was embarrassed to show his anger and fear in front of the enemy.

Sage watched pitifully as Rowen struggled to keep his cool. He was so worried about something... Why would he think that someone had taken his friends? Sage watched as Ryo stretched to grab a scrap of cloth lying on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Sage as quietly.

"I am trying to grab that cloth to wipe the blood from his mouth." Ryo said as he snatched the cloth and began to pull it over to Rowen.

"Rowen, I'm going to-" Ryo began as he pulled the cloth from behind his back.

But Rowen didn't see a cloth.

He saw his dropped arrow, the end gleaming.

"NO!" he screamed, and flipped Sage off of his chest. Sage flew in the air into Ryo, knocking them both to the floor in a heap of flailing arms and legs.

Rowen jumped up and flew from the room, leaving Ryo and Sage calling after him.


	3. What's Happening?

"What the hell is going on?!" Ryo yelled as he wiped the blood from his lip.

Sage was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, also wiping away blood from a scratch on his cheek. He leaned against the bathroom sink, trying to get a hold of the events that had just transpired. As he ran cold water into the sink, he thought about how the day had started and ended in two totally different places. Rowen, for once, was happy about the way his life was going. Then, in a blink of an eye, it turned for the worse. Sage cupped his hands and stuck his hands under the faucet, gathering a handful of cool water. He splashed the refreshing liquid across his face, and drained it from the sink.

"I don't know what's going on. All I do know is that he didn't seem to think that we were us." Sage said quietly as he stepped back into the dojo.

Ryo looked up at Sage quizzically, "He did call us demons. But why? What started all of this?"

Sage shrugged, and sat cross legged in front of Ryo on the floor, "Let's worry about the "why" later. We need to figure out where he ran off to."

They both closed their eyes, pondering for a moment on where their troubled friend was going. Sage tried and tried to link up with Rowen's mind, but his own kept picturing Rowen from earlier that evening. His eyes looked so confused and petrified when they were holding him down. It was almost as though he really did think that they were truly going to hurt him. And that scream for help....

Sage shook his blonde mane to escape the thought, and buried his head in his hands, "I can't concentrate," he admitted.

"I know." Ryo said as he leaned his arms back behind him and dropped his head, "If Kento and Cye were here, we might be able to all link up with-"

"That's it!" Sage cried as he jumped to his feet.

"What?" Ryo asked quizzically.

Sage pointed a finger at Ryo, "If Rowen thinks that someone or something is taking his friends to get to him, he's going to try to protect the one's that are left!"

Ryo stood up and faced Sage, shaking his head in agreement, "Go call them and warn them. We'll be lucky if Rowen doesn't end up killing somebody."

"Or himself." Sage mumbled as he left the room and headed for the phone.

Rowen had ran the whole way to Kento's house. The horrible images from Sage's dojo repeated itself over and over in his head, and he continued his hurried pace down the streets. He knew that there would be a good chance that Cye would be there as well. The two of them were like he and Sage; inseparable.

Suddenly, a jab in Rowen's ribs caught him off guard, and he had to stop his trek. He leaned against a wall and tried to catch his breath, as well as rub out the sudden cramp. He allowed his head to rest against the wall, and he closed his troubled eyes, trying to relax. A coppery taste in his mouth reminded him of his busted lip, and he absently wiped his mouth with the back of his armored hand.

"They'll be fine," he thought as he grimaced against the tightening cramp. Maybe Sage had broken a rib... He'd never felt like this from a cramp.

His dark blue sub-armor was almost constricting against the pain, but he couldn't risk calling it off. Finally feeling a release from the ache, he pushed his heavy body off of the wall, and continued strolling up the sidewalk. He was almost dizzy from the frantic running and fighting that he'd been through, but his head soon cleared as he approached Kento's home. Rowen stopped and looked up at the second story. He carefully crept around to the far side of the house, looked up, and saw a fine curtain drifting in and out with the breeze from Kento's room. He thanked God that he wasn't going to have to try to climb the roof to tap on the window.

As Rowen cupped his hands over his mouth to yell up to the small opening, movement from above the window caught his attention. He dropped his hands quickly and took a few small steps back. He looked behind him and saw a tall tree, one side shielded completely in darkness. His fingers trailed around the tree trunk, leading him into the shadows.

A figure was crouching just above Kento's window on the roof. Another was running just behind the other, keeping low against the roof. Rowen watched each figure intently, listening and watching for any kind of next move.

"Is he down there?" Kento whispered from above Rowen's head.

Rowen remained still against the tree, trying to quietly slide down the tree trunk to fold himself into the darkness.

Rowen watched as the figure above the window stood up, "I thought I saw him under your window, but I'm not sure."

Footsteps began to approach from behind Rowen, and panic once more began to set in.

'What am I going to do?' he thought as he crouched low on his tiptoes, ready to spring if anyone gave him the inclination to do so.

Rowen took in a deep cleansing breath, trying to find some kind of logical explanation to what was going on. But with all of the panicking and doubt that he had, there was no possible way that he could ever think clearly.

"Rowen?" Cye called quietly from behind, "Are you here?"

Rowen shut his eyes, trying to rid his mind of alarm. He was so confused by what was going on, he didn't know which way was up anymore. He wanted so bad to call out to his friends, beg for help. But he knew that he would only end up seeing the same, horrible figures that he saw in Sage's dojo.

Rowen pressed his slender body harder into the tree, hoping that he would melt into the darkness. A cold sweat broke out on his brow, and he struggled to control his shivers. He only wanted them all to go away, and he prayed that they would think that he wasn't there.

But as long as Sage was nearby, he wouldn't be able to escape easily.

"He's around here somewhere. I can feel him very close by." Sage called from the rooftop.

Rowen winced at Sage's sudden announcement, and he tried to clear his mind so that Sage wouldn't pick up on his location.

"Come on, Rowen. Come out so that we can talk about what's going on." Ryo called out from behind him.

Rowen felt so trapped. He wanted to call out for his friends, beg them for help. But Kayura's warning had seemed so sincere. The people that he trusted most in the world were his friends. If anyone were trying to get to him, they would naturally go through his friends.

He listened and watched over his shoulder in vain as they all searched for close to five minutes. It felt like an eternity before Rowen heard Kento sigh from above, "Guys, I don't think he's here. I don't see him anywhere at all, and we've almost torn the place up looking."

"I'm telling you, he's here." Sage said irritatingly, and a soft 'thud' indicated he had jumped from the roof to the ground just behind Rowen's hiding place.

"Sage," Cye began, and Rowen's nerves jumped as he placed a hand on the tree trunk, leaning into it, "I know you guys are good friends, but I believe that Kento's right."

Sage began to slowly walk around the small yard, one foot in front of the other. He slowly scanned the growing darkness, hoping for a glimpse of the familiar blue-black hair.

Rowen slowly raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, and he braced his feet underneath him, ready to take off flying down the stretch of road in front of him. The pain in his ribs punched him again, but he ignored it. He could just barely see Sage's figure encroaching on the small tree, and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before he was found.

'Come on, Ro. I know you're here.' Sage's soft voice called in his head.

Rowen closed his eyes, trying to clear his head of the soft voice, listening as the fall of footsteps drew ever nearer.

Suddenly, a twig snapped beside of him, and that was his cue to get the hell out of there. He was off at a flying pace down the street that lay in front of him. He heard his frantic footfalls and the calls for his name, knowing now that he was being chased like an animal.

Rowen turned down a narrow alleyway, searching desperately for some kind of escape. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Ryo, Sage, and Cye running after him, their eyes that frightening red.

Unfortunately, as he turned a corner, he ran smack into Kento, sending Rowen hard into the ground. Before he knew it, everyone was on him like a pack of wild dogs, grabbing arms and legs, and holding him firmly to the ground.

Rowen kicked at whomever held his legs, thrashing wildly trying to get up. But they all had a vice-like grip on his body.

"Stop, Rowen. You'll only end up hurting yourself." Kento said as he held down his ankles.

"Let me go!" Rowen yelled, trying to pull him arms from out of their grip.

"Not until you tell us what's wrong," Ryo said softly over his head, "Why did you call us demons earlier?"

Sage reached over to Rowen's blue soaked hair, and stroked it softly, "Come on, Ro. We've learned that we can't solve a problem if you keep it away from your friends."

Rowen looked up at the faces hovering over his. He struggled to see the caring faces of his friends, but he only saw the glowing red eyes in the growing darkness, their mouths upturned into a hideous snarl. He quickly shut his troubled mediterranean blue eyes and turned away from them. A stifled sob escaped his lips.

The other four exchanged nervous glances. Rowen had stopped thrashing and fighting them, only trying to move a hand up to his face to wipe away his tears. Sage and Ryo had released their grips on Rowen's arms, and Sage leaned down to softly whisper reassuring words in his ear. The others looked down on the two, Kento and Cye holding their grip on Rowen's ankles.

"What do you want to do now, Ryo?" Cye asked as Rowen again began to move his legs.

Ryo looked down at Sage, still caressing each strand of Rowen's sweat-soaked hair, desperately trying to soothe his friend's soft cries.

"What do you think, Sage?"

Sage didn't even look up at Ryo, "Whatever you think is best."

Ryo sighed aloud, "Let's try to get him to Mia's. Maybe she'll know what to do."

Suddenly, a horrible scream pierced their ears. Sage sat up as they watched Rowen grab and scratch at his neck, gagging against whatever held a fast grip on him. Sage, linking up with Rowen, saw a flash of some animal clamped around his neck, horrible red eyes peering into his. But, just as Sage was pulling away from their link, he saw someone lingering in the shadows just behind Kento's shoulder.

It was Dais.

When Sage opened his eyes, he no longer heard the cries for help or the restless movements of Rowen. He was laying peacefully on the ground, drenched in sweat and tears.

"What happened?" Sage asked quietly as he looked up at Ryo.

Ryo sighed and pointed over to Kento disapprovingly, "Kento knocked him out."

Kento shrugged, "Hey, how were we going to get him to Mia's if we couldn't even hold him down?"

Sage nodded, and he quickly scanned the dark alleyway. His clear eyes couldn't sense anyone in the narrow passageway, and he dropped his shoulders in relief. Maybe he hadn't seen Dais, and it was only an image that Rowen was coming up with in his own mind. He looked down at Rowen with worried eyes. Had Rowen actually seen these things and believed them? Was it a Dynasty trick, or was Rowen truly loosing his mind?

Sage shook the latter out of his mind, and felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder. Sage looked up from his crouching position to look in Kento's warm, caring face smiling down on him.

"Don't worry," Kento said as he leaned down and pulled Rowen over his shoulder, "I didn't hit him hard."

Sage stood up, dusting himself off. As they set off for Mia's house, Sage couldn't help but think of the troubling things in his friend's head, and what it could possibly mean.

Everyone had crowded around Rowen's bed, watching him sleep peacefully. His sub-armor had long since faded, being replaced by a soft gold sweater and a pair of gray pants. His breathing was slow and rhythmic. Above the flaxen collar of his shirt, red welts surrounded by scratches were the only indication of the attack the others had witnessed.

The other Ronins had changed out of their layers as well, and were restlessly waiting for Rowen to waken. Sage leaned against the wall at the foot of Rowen's bed, watching as Mia cared for their friend. Sage had tried a few times to link once more with his comrade, but was met with a black wall each time.

The soft tinkling of water got his attention as he observed Mia wring out a cloth and drag it across Rowen's forehead and neck.

Cye cleared his throat, and looked over at Sage, "What started this, anyway?"

"Was it his mom again?" Kento muttered under his breath from Cye's side.

Sage sighed and shook his blonde head, "Actually, no. Rowen was in a fabulous mood before we got into the dojo."

"What was the good news that he had, anyway?" Ryo asked as he stretched his legs out by Mia's side.

"He told me that his mother was checking into a rehab center."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Mia stated as she set the cloth in the bowl, turning the water a soft shade of pink.

"Yeah, it is. But," Sage added as he tossed his flaxen hair out of his eyes, "why is he so troubled now?"

They all lowered their heads, and contemplated Sage's last comment. How could this happen to Rowen of all people? He finally gets a break, and now this?

"What happened in the dojo?" Ryo asked as he looked over at Rowen.

"I don't know." Sage said as he slid down the length of the wall to sit cross-legged in the floor, "We were practicing, and I noticed that Rowen was standing in the middle of the room, staring off into space. I walked over to see if he was okay, and when he snapped out of it, he just went nuts."  
"When I walked in, Rowen was screaming at you, almost ready to shoot an arrow right through your chest."

Kento whistled, "You know, I've only had Rowen mad at me once on the practice field, and I think I had a few extra puncture wounds in my body."  
"Did he really call you guys demons?" Mia asked as she set the bowl down and pulled a blanket over top of Rowen.

Sage nodded and looked away as recalled the earlier incidents. It just didn't make sense somehow...

"What about in the alleyway," Cye said quietly, "when we finally had him cornered and he was finally out cold. You acted like you saw something."

Sage drew a knee up to his chin, and rested his weary head on it, "I tried to link up with him to see what was going through his mind. It looked like an animal had him by the neck."

"God." Mia whispered as she applied the cool rag once more to Rowen's forehead.

"It bothers me that he acts like he can't trust us. What would have caused him to believe that?" Ryo said as he rubbed his face with his hands.

"Because of Dais." Sage whispered as he closed his violet eyes.

Everyone turned to look at Sage, the room instantly quiet.

"Dais?" Cye whispered.

"What the hell would he want?" Kento questioned.

"That would explain his awful visions."

"Yeah, but again, why? I thought that we had ended all that when Talpa was destroyed." Kento argued.

"I don't know. But I don't think that we can get to the bottom of anything until he starts talking to us and trusting us." Ryo said as he motioned towards Rowen's slumbering body.

The room grew quiet again, but Kento cleared his throat.

"Who knows with Rowen. Maybe all that studying finally got to him."

Everyone groaned at Kento's remark. Sage picked up a pillow and chunked it at Kento's head.

"What?!" Kento growled as he caught the pillow, "You can't tell me that you haven't SEEN the amount of bookwork that this kid takes home!"

Everyone giggled quietly and shook their heads. A sudden moan from the bed made them snap their heads towards the sound. Rowen was slowly turning his head from side to side, a bead a perspiration forming on his forehead. He was gripping the sheets so hard that it looked as if the material would rip. Mia patted his face with the cloth, and dried away the sweat that was forming around his brow. She finally stroked his hair as Sage had earlier, trying to calm him the best she could. The rest watched helplessly as their friend conquered some unknown monster.

Sage watched as Rowen struggled alone, the anger slowly mounting inside of him. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing! Angry tears began to build up in his eyes, and he brushed them away. He quickly sprang to his feet and stormed out of the room, everyone staring after him.

When Sage was out of earshot, Kento mumbled, "What's eatin' him?"

"Same thing that's bothering all of us, Kento." Cye began.

"Yeah. How can we help Rowen if he won't tell us what's wrong." Ryo ended looking over at Rowen, now under attack from some unknown source that none of them could prevent.


	4. Temptations

Once again, don't own 'em, don't sue me.

Chapter Four

Temptations

Rowen slowly fluttered his eyes open. It didn't feel as if he were at his home in bed, or in the small bedroom that he and Sage shared. The room was dark and a bit damp on his exposed face. A soft glow fell around him from a small fireplace that was in the center of the room. He was lying in a plush bed, the goose down blankets covering his shivering body. He felt down the side of his body, and found that a soft blue t-shirt and a pair of white boxer shorts had long since replaced the layer. He stretched and pulled the blankets in closer around his body, the warmth placing a sense of security in his troubled mind. Wherever he was, he felt safe. He sighed as rolled over on his side, picturing the eerie red eyes in his head, once again filling with fear. He shook the image out of his mind, and left the warmth of the bed seep into his worn body. It felt good to feel safe.

Suddenly, he felt a cool hand stroke the back of his head, ruffling his hair, and then trailing down to caress his exposed cheek. He jerked his head towards the loving touch, startled to see the recognizable figure lying next to him.

Kayura was lying on top of the soft blankets, her raven hair forming a veil around her face. A creamy silky gown adorned her ivory skin, clinging to every curve in her body. He rolled onto his back to look into the deep blue pools of her eyes, trying to fathom what it was she were thinking. Her face shimmered angelically in the firelight, her soft cheek perched on her free hand. The blue pendant that he had seen on her earlier was still fastened around her neck, sparkling and glittering in the playful light. She continued to stroke his hair and rub his smooth skin. She watched as she played with his locks as they changed from the odd blue to black with the crackling firelight. He watched her carefully and tried to come up with a logical solution to what was going on. But the more he thought about it, the more he didn't care. He loved the feel of her hand on his face, and he closed his eyes to melt into the touch. Once his emerald eyes met hers, her mouth turned into a soft grin.

"I was wondering when you'd wake." She whispered, her voice soft and full of love.

"Where am I?" he asked as he rolled to his side, still allowing her to touch his porcelain cheek.

"Safe. Away from the demons." She trailed off as she moved her cool fingers to trail over his muscular neck.

"Are they okay?" Rowen asked as he reached up to grab her hand.

Kayura smiled softly at his question, "That's why I chose you, you know."

Rowen cocked his eyebrows at her statement, and pushed himself up to sit and face her, "What do you mean?"

Kayura sat up as well, her hair falling around her in a shower of shimmering black locks, "Even after your friends betrayed you, you still worry about them."

Rowen locked his eyes with her deep blue, waiting for an explanation. She waited and stared, seeing the confusion fill his face. He opened his mouth to question her more, but she stopped him by reaching up and cupping his face in her hands.

"You have a kind heart, Rowen. You always have. With all that your mother has put you through, you stayed with her. Even after all of the awful things she said and did, you stayed with her. Why did you stay?"

Rowen looked at her for a moment, a sudden lump forming in his throat. He pushed her hands away from his face, and looked down at his hands in his lap. He had questioned his motives for staying with his mother many times, but he didn't attribute "love" as the main reason for staying. He thought for a moment on her question, and then looked back up at her beautiful face before answering.

"She's my mom. Isn't that what you'd do for your mother?" he asked with a shrug.

Kayura slowly inched closer to him, and then wrapped her thin arms around his neck, embracing him strongly. Her move caught him off guard, and he sat there quietly for a moment as the hold soaked into his body. He enveloped her body with his strong arms and pulled her closer, feeling her hair tickle his nose. He shut his eyes and held her close, her voice startling him when she began to speak.

"That is why I've watched you, darling. I have watched everyone after we parted that wonderful day, but I've watched you most of all. Your heart so full of love and kindness, but you were so full of anger. So full of resentment at your mother, but you couldn't leave. And now I understand why."

She pulled back a little from him, and whispered in his ear, "Someone as compassionate as yourself shouldn't have to go through so much pain."

He ran his hands over the silky material adorning her wonderful body. Rowen knew that there had to be an explanation for Kayura's sudden appearance, and he couldn't let her feminine wiles get the better of him. As he was about to question her motives, she pulled back even further and kissed his forehead softly.

Rowen watched her carefully as she sat back away from him, "What is it that you want from me, Kayura?"

She smiled quietly and began moving her hands over his strong chest, "Discover the truths in your life, first, Strata. Tell everyone how you truly feel; no holding back. No regrets on any unspoken words. Then, I'll tell you you're purpose."

"What about my friends?" Rowen pleaded as he grabbed her small wrists.

Kayura smiled as her eyes twinkled, "What does your judgment say, Rowen?"

She had inched closer to him again, so close that he could smell the jasmine on her skin, "It was a test, wasn't it." He whispered huskily.

"But what was it testing?" she said as she grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled his closer.

"To see if I would trust you?" he answered as she moved inches in front of his face.

"Mm-hmm." She mumbled as her delicate lips pressed into his.

Rowen had kissed girls in high school, but he had not kissed anyone as he was kissing Kayura. The girls he had kissed before were usually at the end of a date, and never had any feeling in them whatsoever. But this was different. It was as if he were kissing the love of his life, her kisses becoming more and more heated the longer they went. As she began to pull away, he whimpered slightly. He never wanted this amazing moment to end.

After they had pulled apart, and their heated kiss had subsided slightly, Kayura smiled slyly and stood on the floor by the bed.

"Finish the task that I gave you, dear, and we'll meet again."

She turned and began to walk away from him. He could hear the swish of her silky gown as she walked away and faded into the starlight beside of their meeting place. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, intent on following her fading silhouette. As soon as he placed a foot on the floor, he felt the earth beneath him vanish, and he was falling through a star-filled space.


	5. Following Advice

Chapter Five

Following Advice

Rowen yelled out loud as he sat up with a start. He bit his lip and felt around himself as he realized he was no longer in the resting chamber with Kayura, but back in the bedroom that he shared with Sage at Mia's cozy manor. He could still taste the last kiss that they shared; a mix of vanilla and jasmine. He was breathing rapidly from his fall through space, the cool night air entering into his lungs. He heard someone fumbling with the light switch on the lamp beside him, and shut his eyes to ward off the blinding effect of the light.

"Are you alright, Ro?"

Rowen opened one eye, and saw a very sleepy Sage stretched out on the bed alongside his own. As Rowen opened his mouth to answer, relief flooded over him as he saw that the demon like eyes from before were replaced with Sage's soft violet ones.

A sigh of relief passed his lips, and he grinned beside himself as he lay back against the soft pillows. Sage rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at the clock on the night table. It flashed 3:30 am. 'Leave it to Rowen to wake up at this absurd hour', Sage thought as he pulled the covers back on his bed and slipped out from under the warmth. He pulled a green fleece blanket off of his bed and wrapped himself in it. He climbed over to Rowen's slumbering figure, shivering against the cold.

"Are you okay?" Sage asked again.

Rowen opened his eyes, and looked over at his friend, concern in his eyes. Rowen nodded slowly, "I'm alright now."

Sage smiled, and Rowen could see his body relax against the strain that he had been under. As he was opening his mouth to continue their conversation, they heard a stampede running up the steps and down the hallway leading to their bedrooms. The door burst open, everyone running in. They stopped in a dead halt when they saw Rowen resting against the headboard.

Rowen chuckled at the group, and folded his hands behind his head, "Where's the fire, guys?"

Glares were his only response, "I'm gonna kill him." Kento mumbled.

"Nope, I'm first." Mia uttered with her hands on her hips.

Sage looked back at Rowen and rolled his eyes, pulling the covers tighter around his shoulders. Everyone piled into the room, Mia sitting at Rowen's feet; Cye, Kento, and Ryo gathering on Sage's bed.

After a moment of silence, Ryo asked sternly, "Well?"

Rowen rolled his head to look over at their leader, "Well, what?"

"Don't be coy, dude. What's goin' on? I thought that you had gone nuts." Kento said as he lay back on his elbows.

"So did I, to be honest. I really don't fully understand what she wants with me-"

"She?" Sage asked quickly, " 'She' who?"

It took a moment for Rowen to answer. He looked down at his lap as he tried to figure out a way to tell them that Kayura had been up to something. He knew that they would all react defensively, but seeing as how he had acted a bit crazy lately, he at least owed them the truth.

A sudden pat on his knee caught his attention as Mia's brown eyes met his, "You can tell us, Rowen."

"It was Kayura." Rowen stated as he pictured her at their latest encounter in his head.

Every person got quiet as Rowen slipped into a reverie. Sage exchanged a nervous glance with Ryo and bit his lip. The way that Rowen even said her name was a little unnerving. Why it bothered him was a different question. He honestly didn't know.

"Tell us what happened today, Rowen." Cye asked quietly.

Rowen looked over at the redhead and nodded. He owed them an explanation to his erratic behavior. He sat up and took a deep breath, ready to begin. He started at the beginning, with his mother, and her sudden change of heart. He explained about the first encounter he had with Kayura, the warning that she had issued, the strange visions that he had, and the incident in the alleyway.

As he began to tell about his last encounter with Kayura, he could feel his face become hot with embarrassment. He explained about what she had said about her tests, and that there was more planned. He felt stupid talking about their intimacy, but she had told him that he needed to be truthful with everyone and not hold back. When he had finished telling them about her latest advice, everyone sat back, soaking in his information.

"Well, before we go on, I think that you need to answer an important question." Cye stated.

"What's that?" Rowen asked as he pushed himself off the headboard and sat Indian-style on the covers.

"Do you love her?"

"Who?" Rowen asked innocently.

Everyone groaned, but he only smiled to himself.

"Were you born yesterday?! He's talking about Kayura!" Ryo yelled.

Rowen shrugged and stared Ryo down, "I'm attracted to her, sure. But honestly, all that is is pheromones and chemicals in your body-"

"Geez, Rowen. He didn't ask about chemistry, he asked about your feelings!" Kento argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can't answer that question. I don't really know."

"I don't trust her." Rowen heard from the figure sitting beside of him.

Rowen looked up at Sage with questioning eyes. Sage looked down on him for a moment, and then turned away.

"Why not?" Rowen asked quietly.

"Why would you?!" Sage fired back hotly.

"He does have a point there, Rowen. This is the same girl that about killed all of us when we were going through the Dynasty. Don't you remember getting blown away every time we ran into her?" Ryo asked carefully.

"And I understand your reasoning's, guys. I had my doubts, too. Truth is, I don't know what she wants, or what to expect."

Sage studied Rowen for a moment, trying to decide if he should tell him about seeing Dais.

'What?' Rowen thought to Sage.

Sage looked at him with troubled eyes for a moment. He was actually happy with the way things were going. Sage hadn't seen a smile cross Rowen's face in such a long time that he felt a little guilty in trying to bring him down to reality.

But if he were being tricked, it would hurt worse. Love was a powerful thing, as they had all seen with his mother. No matter what she did to him, he always went back. Even when he had graduated from high school and he could move out on his own, he didn't. He wanted to be there to look after her.

'Tell me.' Rowen sent again.

'I saw Dais in the alley.' Sage though to him, and guilt instantly stabbed at him when he saw the smile immediately drop from his face.

"That would explain the horrible visions. It would also explain the little fantasy land that Kayura had around us." Rowen said aloud.

"What does?" Cye asked.

Ryo growled, "I hate it when you two do that?"

"Do what?" Cye asked again.

"Link up. Ryo's nosy and wants us to always talk out loud so that he can put in his two cents." Sage muttered under his breath.

Ryo scoffed and folded his arms across his chest, "I am not nosy."

Rowen chuckled and shrugged at their argument, "Sage was telling me about seeing Dais."

Once again, the room filled with silence at the mention of Dais's name. They were all deep in their own thoughts, but wondering what the answer was to the same question: Why would the warlords be involved in Kayura's little plot?

Suddenly, Mia yawned loudly at Rowen's feet. Cye laughed aloud and patted her on the knee, "I agree, Mia. I know how you feel."

"Yeah, it has been a long day." Kento added as he stretched, almost knocking Ryo in the head.

"Well then, why don't we go back to bed and we'll discuss this further over a big breakfast in the morning."

"Sounds good." Rowen said settling back into his pillows, and pulling the covers up over his feet.

They all wandered out, sleepily rubbing their eyes and yawning. Rowen suppressed a laugh as he watched them all shuffle out. He loved the early morning, which always explained why he slept in so late. As he settled back into his warm covers, he looked over to see Sage pulling on his jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

"No sleep for you?" Rowen asked as he pulled the covers up over his shoulders.

Sage walked over to the night table and shook his head, "Nope.. I'm off to meditate for a bit over your little matter."

Rowen acknowledged with a soft grunt as he nuzzled into his pillow, "Don't worry so much, Sage. You won't loose me."

Sage froze and looked down at his friend, sleep beginning to over take him yet again. It was funny that out of all of the guys, Rowen was the one that could read him like a book.

Sage smiled and ruffled the top of Rowen's head, "I wouldn't dream of loosing this blue freak head."

Rowen moaned and pulled the covers over his head. Sage flipped the light off on the table, and sauntered out of the room, leaving his friend to rest comfortably under the warmth of the moon's light.


	6. A Little Sentimental

Chapter Seven

A Little Sentimental

As Rowen awoke, the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. He pulled the blanket down from his head, a small stream of sunlight hitting him in the eyes. He shaded his eyes, and looked over at Sage's bed, only to see the thrown blankets indicating that he was not back from his meditating. Rowen pushed his warm blankets away from his body and sat up, stretching and yawning.

As he swung his legs from under the covers, thoughts of Kayura and what she had said to him crept through his mind. He pondered on the last piece of advice that she had said. What did it mean to tell his friends and loved ones how he truly felt about them? He was a bit troubled as to why she would want him to do such a strange thing. It almost sounded like she intended to take him away somewhere for a long time.

He reached for the clock on the bedside table; 6:30 am. Rowen moaned at the early time, but knew that Sage would be back in a few hours. Rowen grimaced to himself; not enough time to start what he wanted to do. Where could he go for some time to complete his task?

A thought came to his head, and he knew that it would be the perfect place for privacy and quiet. Quickly as he could move at this un-godly hour, he changed his clothes and made his bed. He thought about leaving a note for Sage, but thought better of it. Sage had been quite worried about Rowen's intentions with Kayura, and this would only cause an argument between them. Rowen sauntered out of the bedroom, and quietly latched it shut. He crept down the stairs and looked down into the living room to see if anyone was awake. As soon as the coast was clear, he quickly hopped down the steps and pulled his tennis shoes on, quickly lacing and tying them. Rowen dashed out the door, hoping no one had heard, and headed towards his destination.

At around 9 am, Sage headed back towards the house. The sun was hot on his head and shoulders, but the warmth felt good. He was a bit more relaxed since meditating for so long, but hadn't come to a conclusion about what Rowen should do for his next move. He walked across the huge back lawn that served as their practice field, and up to the back double doors. He could hear everyone chatting and laughing. He smiled to himself; it had been too long since they had met and laughed over nothing. He hoped that Rowen's current situation wouldn't dampen anyone's cheer. He swung the door open, and everyone looked over at him from their perches around the living room.

"About time you two came back. Kento was about to start without you." Mia laughed from the sofa.

"Yeah! What's the big idea of you guys taking off?!" Kento whined.

The smile on Sage's face changed into a look of confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"You know. We were going to eat a big breakfast and discuss our next move. But we can't do that with two missing." Ryo explained.

Sage moved towards the middle of the room to face Ryo, "You mean Rowen's not here?"

The laughing and talking ceased, confusion slowly setting in.

"No. We thought that he was with you." Ryo said shaking his head.

Sage hastily moved across the living room and up the steps. He opened the door to the room they shared, and saw Rowen's neatly made bed. He scanned the room quickly looking for a note or some other indication that he'd been taken. When Sage found nothing, he looked to the rest that had followed him up, "What time did you guys come up here?"

"I checked about eight. When I didn't see either of you, I thought that you'd gone off somewhere together." Mia stated.

"Let's search around the house before we start freaking out." Ryo offered.

Kento nodded, "Knowing Ro, he's somewhere he can sit and study or read."

"Alright," Ryo said, "why don't we split up. Kento, you and Cye look around the lake and the cabin. Mia and I will search the woods around the house. If you find him, send a signal to let us know he's okay."

"Sounds good." Cye replied as Kento and he set off down the stairs.

"I'll stay here and see if I can contact him via link." Sage said as he sat down on his bed.

Ryo nodded, and placed a gentle hand on Sage's shoulder, "Alright. And don't worry so much. You know how Rowen goes off on his own all the time."

Sage looked up into the warm eyes of his friend, "I know. But with all of the trouble that he's been having lately, I just want to make sure."

Ryo nodded and patted Sages' shoulder, then turned to grab Mia's hand as they bounded out of the door. Sage sat down on his bed, and tried to focus on contacting his friend before his concern fully engulfed his emotions and he was no longer able to concentrate.

A few hour's later, after Sage had exhausted himself on concentrating, he thought that he heard the front door close. He wearily got up and walked over to the threshold of the bedroom to look down the stairs. As he saw the blue haired Rowen bending over to take off his shoes, he sprinted down the staircase.

"Where have you been?!"

Rowen looked up after kicking off his shoe, and cocked his eyebrows with a smile, "Alright, mother hen, don't let your feathers get too ruffled."

"Well, considering that everyone is searching hell and high water trying to find you, I should be mad!" Sage yelled as Rowen filed past him, and began walking up the steps.

Rowen turned and motioned for Sage to follow him. Sage turned and stormed up the steps, not quite understanding why he was being so coy. Rowen led him into the room they shared and shut the door behind them. Sage sat down across from him on his bed, and he watched as Rowen sat down on the floor, pulling out a number of large manila envelopes, each with a name on it.

"I need you to give these to everyone for me," Rowen stated as he handed them up to Sage.

Sage thumbed through each envelope, and noticed that there was a letter to everyone except him. He heard a chuckle, and looked down at Rowen shaking his head.

"I wanted to do yours personally."

"Do what?" Sage asked cautiously.

Rowen sighed and placed his elbows on his knees, perching a porcelain cheek on one, "I know that you don't trust her. To tell the truth, I don't either. But she has my curiosity piqued, and I want to see what it is that she's up to."

"Ro-" Sage began, but was cut off when Rowen held up a hand to stop him from going on.

"I know. I'll probably end up wishing I hadn't done it, but I want to."

Sage studied his face for a moment, his sea-green eyes sparkling. Sage knew that the more he tried to argue with Rowen, the more set in stone he would be about his decision. Sage put his hands up in the air, and relented to whatever he was going to do.

Rowen nodded, and got up to sit down across from Sage on his bed, "Kayura told me that I needed to tell everyone how I truly felt about them without any regrets. So, I wrote everyone a letter." He added motioning towards the envelopes he had set down on the bed.

"But there isn't one for me. Because you wanted to tell me to my face." Sage said quietly leaning towards him.

Rowen nodded, "Right."

There was a brief silence, only interrupted by the birds chirping quietly outside. Sage watched as Rowen struggled to keep his composure. Rowen wringed his hands together, and looked down at the floor. Sage wasn't sure if he should sit quietly and wait, or prod him with a question.

Finally, he took in a deep breath and looked up at Sage, "Sage, I would not have made it through all of the craziness with mom if I didn't have you. And I mean it."

Sage sat silently and waited for Rowen to continue, "You know that all of us were willing to help."

Rowen sighed, "Yeah, and everyone did for the most part. But you saved my life."

Sage blinked back Rowen's last statement, stunned, "What do you mean?"

Rowen wiped at the tears suddenly forming in his eyes, and got up to sit beside of Sage on the bed, "Do you remember when mom wouldn't let me go to see dad last summer?"

Sage nodded, remembering the awful news, "After she told you that she couldn't wait to get you out of the house."

"She slapped and hit me around with everything she could get her hands on. I don't know what the big deal was, and every time I tried to ask, it only provoked her even more. When I finally managed to get away, I ran to Mia's house to see if I could talk with her, and she wasn't home. I felt so alone and so angry that I thought I might go the practice field to shoot some arrows and get the frustration out."

He stopped for a moment, and Sage put a comforting hand on Rowen's back. He was trying to get through his speech as bravely as possible, but memories are powerful. Sage was beginning to wonder what this incident had in store.

"I was so sick of living through her hell. No one deserves that kind of treatment. I felt so guilty running to you guys to try to work through it, and I couldn't help but feel so alone that night. I wanted to end it all."

Sage looked over at Rowen, the tears running down his face. He had never heard him talk like that before, and it scared him to know that thoughts such as those were running through his head. Ryo had mentioned on more than one occasion that it would come to that if things didn't work out at home.

"I grabbed an arrow and sat down on the ground, looking at the lake in the moonlight. I kept fiddling with the arrow tip, twirling it around in my hands, trying to muster up the courage to actually do it.

"I wanted so bad to just ram that arrow right through my chest, or wrist, or something to just make it go away. I was tired of living with her everyday, and I was tired of running. But just when things seemed hopeless,-"

"I showed up." Sage whispered.

Rowen looked up at him and smiled, "I know that you didn't realize what was going on out there, but it meant a lot to me. It was always odd that no matter where I ran to, or how bad it got, you always showed up."

Sage rubbed his eyes with his free hand, now realizing the impact of their encounter. He had never known that Rowen had been so unhappy that he would want to take his own life.

"You told me that we'd get through it, find some way to get away from her. You understand everything, and you always have, ever since we met in school." Rowen ended with a sniffle.

Sage chuckled as he remembered first seeing Rowen. They hadn't known each other through childhood, but as they entered high school, their kanji's had called them together.

"What's so funny?" Rowen asked as he dabbed at his eyes, "This is supposed to be sentimental."

Sage patted Rowen's back, "I was remembering when we first met."

Rowen sighed as he lay back on the bed, "God. In those damn glasses. I'm so glad I got contacts after that."

Sage laughed and shook his head, remembering how timid he had looked when Sage walked over to his locker to help him gather his stuff.

"I was such a geek." Rowen sighed.

" 'Was'? Still are!" Sage said as he looked down at Rowen's lounging body.

"You are such an ass." Rowen mumbled and punched Sage in the arm.

The chuckling had ceased, and Sage sat back against the wall, watching Rowen quietly. It scared him with the way he was talking, and he voiced this concern.

Rowen looked up at him, his one arm dangling over his forehead, "I'll be back. I need to see my mother, and I'm not exactly sure where she's at. It may take me a few days to talk to her and come back."

"How are you going to find her?"

"I was going to make a trip to my house and find the address of where she's staying." Rowen said as he rose from the bed.

"I'll go with you. We'll leave a note for the others letting them know that you're okay and where we're going."

Rowen thought on this for a moment. He wouldn't mind another person tagging along to help him with his little "quest". Rowen nodded and watched as Sage scribbled a note.

They ran down the steps and out the front door, headed for Rowen's home. Sage wasn't quite sure why, but suddenly he was getting a bad feeling about what might greet them when they arrived.


	7. Difficulties

Chapter Eight

Difficulties

Rowen and Sage strolled the cherry blossom lined sidewalks, reminiscing over the times that they had shared. They laughed about the antic's they shared in high school, and discussed the sudden change in Rowen's mothers' behavior. The only memory that they didn't touch on was Kayura. Rowen didn't want to bring it up with Sage, and Sage also began to think that it would turn into a fight between the two.

"I think we're almost there." Rowen said as they rounded a corner.

But as they neared Rowen's home, they were met with an unexpected sight. The front door was wide open.

Sage exchanged a puzzled look with Rowen, and they casually strolled up the sidewalk to the open door. They stood outside, listening for some indication on whom the intruder was. Rowen scanned inside the open door, his eyes wide as he saw a small suitcase sitting inside. He looked back at Sage in stunned silence, and they looked at each other, contemplating what to do. As Rowen opened his mouth to speak to ask Sage what he wanted to do, a sudden feeling of anxiety hit him in the chest. Sage was motioning that someone was standing behind him, his violet eyes falling to his feet.

Rowen slowly turned to face what he expected. His mother, her raven hair pulled up and her face saying all he needed to hear. She had two larger suitcases held motionless in her hands, and her mouth gaped open as she saw her son standing before her.

Rowen knew what she was doing. She was cold sober; her sparkling eyes told him so. She had only been gone less than a day, and she couldn't do it.

She was running.

Rowen crossed his arms over his chest and sighed.

"Rowen-"

"Don't. Just don't." Rowen snapped as he put a hand up to stop her.

His mother dropped the two suitcases to her side with a thud, and rushed over to him, tears pooling in her eyes, "I can't do it, Rowen. It's too hard for me to do."

"Hard?" Rowen yelled as he shrugged her off his arm, "So you're leaving? Leaving me!"

Her face suddenly hardened in anger, but he didn't care. Rowen looked back at Sage as he stepped inside the door, "I'll be right back."

Sage watched sullenly for a moment, then nodded and sat down on the porch steps. Although he cared deeply for his friend, he knew that this was something that he needed to do on his own. Rowen grabbed his mother by the upper arm, and dragged her back inside. He slammed the door as hard as he could, and Sage winced against the sound. Even though the wooden door was supposed to allow some privacy for the anger inside, it didn't suppress the yells and hurtful words.

"It's always about you, isn't it! You don't give a damn about what I'm going through!" she spat as she stormed into the next room.

Rowen was close on her heels, and yelled mercilessly at her back, "You will NOT lay blame on me this time! This has nothing to do with me. It has to do with your weakness!"

"How dare you talk to me this way! I am your mother!" she flared as she rounded on the boy standing before her.

Before he knew it, an unknown strength coursed through his veins, and all of the pain and frustration from earlier years voiced itself, "You are not my mother! You may have given birth to me, but you lost that title when you decided torun off onme! All of these years, I've put up with your messes and your coldness! I'm sick of it!"

She backed away from him, and Rowen could see her deflate before his eyes. Her face was turning pink from her anger, but she was not going to let this boy get the better of her. She opened her mouth to spout out more venomous words, but Rowen put up a hand to stop her.

"All of the promises that you made me. You wanted to get better; you wanted to stop. I should have expected this."

She turned away from him and whispered, "Why would you even want me to come home? After all that I've done to hurt you, to make you feel worthless."

"That didn't matter. All I wanted was for you to keep one promise, mom. One promise." He ended with a shrug.

She turned around sharply, and furrowed her brow, "Obviously, it was more than I could keep."

She brushed past his rigid body, and moved over to her suitcases by the door. He grabbed her upper arm and turned her around, but as she rounded, her hand hit his porcelain cheek in one thunderous roll. He didn't move. Rowen only touched his red cheek in shock, realizing that she was sober and once more hitting him. She stood as still as a statue, her hand still in the air, watching his next move.

"I have to go," she whispered, his mind reeling, "I've left money in your account. If you need anything, call your father. Otherwise, you're old enough to be out on your own."

Rowen tried so hard to squeak out a reply, or at least tell her he loved her, or hated, or whatever. But he couldn't. His emotions were reeling so fast, that all he could do was watch her do what he had expected all along.

She was abandoning him.

Oh! So sad! Don't worry.. lot's more mystique and mystery coming, and I promise….. LONGER CHAPTERS!

Aurora


	8. So, What Would You Do?

Once again, I'm not fortunate enough to own the Ronins… Or anything about the Ronins… By the way, if you 'd like to use my story, that's great! But, please don't take it and add your name to it, because I do have friends that will tell me about it, and I will become very upset. Other than that, thank's to the reviewers and readers! I've enjoyed your comments!

Now, on with the show!

So, What Would You Do?

'It's too quiet… I wonder what's going on in there.' Sage thought to himself as he pulled at a blade of grass from a crack in the sidewalk in front of him.

Suddenly, the door behind him creaked open, and he watched, dumbstruck as Rowen's mother hurried past him carrying two suitcases. He quickly looked away, trying to wish away this sudden feeling of anxiety. They didn't so much as exchange a glance as she glided past him. He watched sullenly as she placed her things in the back of the car, get in and speed away without a glance towards the house.

Sensing that his friend was in desperate need, Sage got up with a sigh and walked towards the door. He knocked loudly on it and poked his head in the door.

"Rowen?"

He waited quietly for a moment, and then came a reply, "I'm out on the porch, Sage."

Sage walked into the now empty house, and to the door leading to the side porch. He stood just inside, and tried to survey his friends' feelings. As he looked out the screen door, he saw that Rowen's back was to him; his long body perched on the railing. He was staring up at the clear blue sky, the morning sun now climbing high over them. Sage stepped out onto the porch, and sat in a rocking chair angled in Rowen's direction. Sage sat down tenderly, and sat back, letting the warm breeze push his body into the chair and rock him. He could tell that Rowen had some troublesome questions on his mind, but it wasn't his place to ask him about it… Or was it?

"I take it that you saw her leave?" Rowen asked without looking at Sage.

Sage sighed, and leaned back in the chair, "Yeah. What happened?"

The usual hardened look returned to Rowen's face, and he shrugged as he answered, "What usually happens. It wasn't good for her, so therefore, it couldn't work."

Sage stopped rocking the chair and stared up at his friend, "Where did she go?"

To this, Rowen blinked slowly and looked at the ground with a sigh, "I don't know."

Sage looked at his friend in confusion, "You don't know? What do you mean? Did she not tell you where she was going?"

Rowen shook his head slowly, and looked over at Sage, "Nope. And you know what? I'm not that upset about it."

Sage stared into Rowen's turquoise eyes for a moment, wondering if what he had said was true. It was rare for him to open up like this and let him know what he was thinking. He was wondering why Rowen had added that little tidbit about "not being upset".

Sage shrugged, and sat back, the rocking motion once more taking over, "I don't blame you. It's not like she ever cared about you anyway."

Rowen took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and allowed for his legs to sway with the breeze, "Well, I'm not sure what to do now…"

"I know what you can do now." A feminine voice called from the door behind him.

Rowen quickly recognized the voice, and looked over his shoulder to see a silhouette of Kayura. He climbed over the railing, and stood face to face with her. He could hear Sage calling to him, but it sounded like he was on the other side of the world. Stars were twinkling behind her body, her skin radiating with each tiny pulse of light. She was dressed in a simple dark blue dress, her long raven hair cascading down her back.

Rowen surveyed his surroundings, and suddenly realized that he was back in the room that they had shared during their second encounter. He walked past Kayura in the center of the room, and sat in front of the fireplace. The fire in the fireplace felt warm on the side of this face, almost caressing his cheek. He shut his eyes and let his emotionally ravaged body take in the warmth.

He could hear the swishing of her gown as she approached his side. He looked up and watched as she sat down beside of him, her gown billowing out from the sides. He watched as she meticulously smoothed each fold, and then quietly folded her hands in her lap. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she looked at him, her dark eyes twinkling.

She only stared at him, a faint smile on her face. Rowen studied her for a moment, not quite sure what to expect. After all, this was the woman that was "Lady Kayura", and he could only picture his body, along with Ryo's, bloody and torn after each meeting with her. Finally, his inquisitive side gave in.

"What?" he whispered.

Kayura pulled a knee up to her chest and perched her cheek on it, the smile growing deeper. Rowen shook his head, suppressing a coy smile, and looked away. She may have been evil at one time, but he had to admit… she was very beautiful.

"I take it that I've finished your task if I'm here again." He said looking out of the corner of his eye.

Kayura giggled and scooted closer to him. Close enough that Rowen could feel the heat radiating from her body. Or was it the fire? Rowen shook his head to snap out of whatever daze that he was getting in… Did it look cloudy in here?

She gracefully lifted a hand, and began stroking his hair from his temple to his neck. He was about to ask her to stop when he felt her raise up, and lean so close that he could feel her lips against his ear, "You've done very well, Rowen of Strata. Now it's time for the hardest decision of your life."

As she pulled away, Rowen looked down at her suspiciously, "What would that be?"

At his question, Kayura got up from the cool floor and walked over to a table by the fire. She poured some sort of dark liquid into two goblets and carried them over to where he was sitting. She handed him one of the glasses as she strolled past him, the soft fabric of her dress running over his feet. He lifted the glass to his nose, taking a quick sniff, recognizing the smell of wine.

Rowen looked over at her, his eyebrows raised, "What are you trying to do? Get me drunk?"

Kayura laughed and lightly touched his hand, "Of course not. Just trying to get you to relax."

He took a sip, the warm liquid slowly crawling down his throat. He got up and joined her. She was sitting on a plush couch of red velvet. He leaned his head back against the plush pillows and closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips.

But just as quickly, Kayura's voice knocked him back into reality, "Rowen, you know that I'm the last of the clan of the Ancient's, right?"

Rowen looked over at her and nodded, "That's why Talpa wanted you."

Kayura looked down at her glass, and fingered the lip of it, "That's not the only reason why he wanted me."

Rowen raised the glass to his lips and took a drink as he asked, "What else did he want from you?"

"He wanted me to have a child that was raised on his evil."

Rowen almost choked on his drink. Kayura watched him closely for a moment before going on.

"But now that he's gone, and the Nether World is rebuilt, it still looks as if the Ancient's line will end with me." Kayura said as she took a sip of her drink and looked away.

Rowen stared at her as realization began to hit him like a ton of bricks. He began to shake his head.

"But I'm not of your clan." Rowen said wide-eyed.

Kayura touched his arm and looked into his eyes, "Maybe not, but you are a Ronin. You stand for a virtue of the Ancient One."

Rowen rubbed his face with his free hand and groaned, "Are you asking me to help you carry on the Ancient's line?"

Kayura pulled down his hand, staring into his eyes, "Yes."

"Oh my God." Rowen moaned, and downed the rest of his glass.

He got up and began pacing in front of the fire blazing in the stone fireplace. His hands went instinctively to his temples as his brow furrowed in concentration. 'This can NOT be happening.' He thought as his steps slowed and he stopped directly in front of the crackling flames. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared into the flame. He was concentrating so deeply that he didn't hear Kayura get up from her position on the floor and step behind him. He didn't even realize how close she was to him until her arms were wrapped around his waist.

There wasn't any possible way that he could do what she was asking. He was just out of high school! He wasn't ready for anything like she was asking.

But standing in front of the fire and feeling her warm body pressed into his, her hair cascading around the two of them, he couldn't help but feel tempted.

"What would happen if I took you up on your offer?" Rowen asked quietly as he rubbed her smooth arms.

"You don't seem to understand, Rowen."

He turned around to look down into her face, not quite sure of what he was seeing in her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been chosen, and you have passed all of my tests. The only way that you could have refused is if you would have failed any of my tests." She said, her eyes looking more sinister.

"Are you trying to tell me that I don't have a choice in the matter?" he asked a bit loudly as he began to back away from her.

The room was beginning to fade from its romantic appeal of before. Cold stones slowly replaced the starlit walls, and the fire was slowly beginning to fade. It was turning into the dungeons that Rowen knew all too well.

"Rowen, you made your decision when you decided to trust my word over the trust of your friends."

Rowen shook his blue head, refusing to believe it, "No." he whispered.

"You ran from the friends that you trusted the most. You believed in the things that you were seeing instead of what you were feeling with your heart!" she began as she moved closer to him.

Rowen backed away from her, "Stop it!"

"You wrote out all of your feelings, and allowed for your mother to slip away from you, letting her know that you HATED her!" she continued, a small tear streaming down her cheek.

"You tricked me into believing you!" he screamed as his back hit the wall.

"She didn't trick you, you pathetic Ronin. You tricked yourself." boomed a deep voice from the shadows behind Rowen.

Rowen twirled around to see the looming figure of Dais towering over him, a snarl across his face.

"No. This isn't true!" Rowen screamed as he backed away from Dais, feeling more and more like a trapped rat.

Kayura strolled up to him desperately grasping for his hands, "Why would you possible want to go home? Your mother has just walked out on you, leaving you behind forever! Your friends will begin to disappear into their own directions, abandoning you again! Why would you possibly want to do that to yourself! Why must you be alone!" she cried, fresh tears streaming down her face.

He desperately pulled his hands from hers, hearing the questions that he had asked himself earlier in the day. Why wouldn't he want to stay here with Kayura? If Kayura had indeed chosen him, he'd be somewhere that he was wanted. He would no longer be a burden on his friends or his family. He loved his friends,but he knew that all of the drama going on in his life wasn't making theirs any easier. Why didn't he stay with her?

Rowen slowly backed into the cool stone wall and slid down until he was squatting in the floor. He rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face, trying to summon away the tears that were threatening to break through.

"Kayura, give him some time to think." Dais whispered as he walked past Rowen's slumped body.

Kayura slowly strolled over to Rowen as he quietly debated with himself. A soft hand touched the top of his head and stroked his hair. Her cool fingertips stroked his smooth cheek, and she nudged for him to look up at her. He locked her gaze, her face now soft and full of warmth.

"I know that you're wrestling with your feelings, and I know that you will need time to think this over."

"Kayura-" he began, but she shushed him and knelt down so that she could look him in the eyes.

"I'll come to you in your sleep. I know that this is a confusing time for you, but I trust that you'll make the right decision."

She stroked his cheek with her thumbs, and before he knew it, she had leaned in and brushed her lips with his. He stared at her for a moment, and then she got up and walked out of the small chamber. Dais began after her, but he looked over his shoulder and grinned down at Rowen, staring blankly after Kayura. Dais disappeared into the darkness of the doorway.

Rowen licked his lips, and was surprised to taste what seemed to be honey. He leaned back against the wall, feeling suddenly very groggy. As he was drifting off to sleep, a sudden peace came over him, and he smiled.

Maybe this wasn't going to be that hard of a decision after all…

Tah-Dah! I told you that I was going to make the next chapter longer! Well, what do you think? I'm thinking about letting the story end here, but I'm not sure. Email me or post ideas, and maybe we can work on it together!

Until then!

Aurora


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